POST UPDATED IN May, 2023
To make cars with diesel engines more environmentally friendly, Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) or Antiparty Filters (FAP) have been implemented in addition to the EGR valve (Exhaust Gas Recirculation), together they achieve a greater cleanliness in the gases that are expelled from these automobiles.
A DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) or Diesel Particle Filter is a device or system that is placed in the exhaust pipe of the car and serves to trap in its porous walls the soot generated by diesel engine gases. We can say that it is a kind of sponge, which absorbs all this dirt so that it does not reach the atmosphere.
In tests carried out to the DPF it has been verified that it can retain up to 85% of soot particles and in some cases up to 100%.
The DPF or filter does its job in line with the rest of the car, retaining soot particles or pollutants that are generated with driving. However, like any filter, when it is full inside, it requires a process to regenerate or cleanse itself. In DPF filters, this cleaning or regeneration can be done in two ways:
In general, there are two types of DPF filters:
The problem or inconvenience that has occurred in the cars that use the DPF Particle Filters is that if they are often used in short distances or in cities, these routes can have a negative effect on the particulate filter.
The same thing usually happens if you interrupt more than three times the filter regeneration cycle that lasts approximately 15 to 20 minutes, during which the engine must not stop and must go at a speed higher than 70 km / h.
If these problems occur, it is very likely that the light will illuminate on the dashboard, which will tell the driver that they should be attacked as soon as possible.
To prevent these problems from occurring, it is necessary to take into account the following:
DPF Particle Filters should be cleaned regularly, some people do it once a year, and however, it is advisable to do it more constantly to extend the filter’s useful life.
This maintenance must be carried out in workshops by professionals, since they guarantee that the DPF works like new. Some of the processes that they carry out are the following: